DSO, FSO, LPO, and Regional vs District Offices

[Rembrant]

Let's see how many Ford documents we can find that say "district sales office" vs "domestic special order". I'll keep score, and right now I know of 1 (the 1981 FSM) that says district sales office and 4 (your 1984 FSM, my 1985 FSM, the 1980-89 MPC, and the 1983 dealers fact book) that say "domestic special order.

I'll check my '81 and '82 dealer facts books and I'll bet it is 6:1. Bill, check your '86 FSM and I think we'll be at 7:1. Now if we can find '80, '82, '83, & '84 FSM's plus more of the dealer facts books maybe we can complete the picture.

Gary,

This is an interesting read, if the link works...

https://books.google.ca/books?id=LWkvKdVMGaEC&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=car+dealer+dso&source=bl&ots=AhkHZCCcBP&sig=6ko5LsvhzLcRvha3UrhMTRbcWoo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiE6om4npPcAhXppVkKHUspABcQ6AEIVTAF#v=onepage&q=car%20dealer%20dso&f=false

Maybe you're right, and the district number is always just part of the Domestic Special order.

[85lebaront2]

Gary,

This is an interesting read, if the link works...

https://books.google.ca/books?id=LWkvKdVMGaEC&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=car+dealer+dso&source=bl&ots=AhkHZCCcBP&sig=6ko5LsvhzLcRvha3UrhMTRbcWoo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiE6om4npPcAhXppVkKHUspABcQ6AEIVTAF#v=onepage&q=car%20dealer%20dso&f=false

Maybe you're right, and the district number is always just part of the Domestic Special order.

Really interesting, because I had one on those 1966 GT350s, SFM 6S2050 Interesting how they were built, then rebuilt by Shelby. Side note, the original Ford VIN is stamped upside down on the block behind the alternator and the Ford stamped in VIN is covered up by the Shelby American VIN plate. The Shely stamped in VIN is on the right side opposite where Ford stamped it. On the back of the driver's door the holes are there for the Ford VIN plate, but nothing was ever there. Door sills have CS on them instead of Ford.

[grumpin]

Your FSM's verbiage is essentially the same as the MPC's, which I copy/pasted above. And yet it never truly says that DSO = District Sales Office. It says that the "district code" will appear in the DSO space. But the MPC specifically says that DSO = Domestic Special Order.

So I think that Bill was wrong when he said that DSO stands for District Sales Office or Domestic Special Order. The term "district sales" does not appear in the master parts catalog, much less "district sales office". Not even "district office". Just "district code". So, I think DSO always means "Domestic Special Order" in official Fordspeak. The employees may well have used the term DSO to mean district sales office, but the publications don't support that, and it is the publications we are trying to interpret.

Let me say this another way. According to what I read the appropriate terminology is:

• District Code, which is a two-digit code indicating the district office from which the order originated

• DSO = Domestic Special Order

• FSO = Foreign Special Order

• LPO = Limited Production Option

But, the confusion arises because Ford used the "DSO" space on the certification label in 4 ways:

1. To indicate the district office which placed the order if no special order existed

2. To indicate the domestic special order number plus the district office that ordered it

3. To indicate the foreign special order number plus the district office that ordered it

4. To indicate the limited production option number plus the district office that ordered it

UPDATE: I do have one publication that says DSO = District Sales Office. This is from the 1981 FSM on the page shown. However, my 1985 FSM does not say DSO = District Sales Office and I think the 1981 FSM is in error.

My 1986 FSM is the same as this.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Gary,

This is an interesting read, if the link works...

https://books.google.ca/books?id=LWkvKdVMGaEC&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=car+dealer+dso&source=bl&ots=AhkHZCCcBP&sig=6ko5LsvhzLcRvha3UrhMTRbcWoo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiE6om4npPcAhXppVkKHUspABcQ6AEIVTAF#v=onepage&q=car%20dealer%20dso&f=false

Maybe you're right, and the district number is always just part of the Domestic Special order.

Rembrant - It is an interesting read, but I think it is a mix of truth and fiction and I don't know where one starts and the other stops. However, one fiction is that "every car ever built by Ford was in fact a special order". We've already shown that several Ford official documents say that "If the unit is regular production only the district code number will appear". So, to Ford the orders from the district offices were "regular production" and not a special order.

And another proof that all orders were not "special orders" is the recurring statement in many of our books that any "special order" will have the complete number shown in the DSO spot. But yet we don't seem to have any trucks with big, long numbers in that spot. Just regular production trucks with the two-digit district code in that spot.

I am constantly amazed at what gets published in books. Years ago I picked up the Red Book for Dodge Super Bees, and hadn't gotten very far and found a statement that all Super Bees had bright exhaust tips. Not true, and I had one that didn't have. In fact, I've shown with Chrysler publications that some Bees didn't get them. And, I found a survivor at Carlisle, PA w/o bright tips - which Galen Govier, the MOPAR guru, documented.

Similarly, I found that George Reid's book on "Cleveland Engines" has a number of mistakes. He says in it that he interviewed Tim Meyer, so I chatted with Tim about it and he agreed it has a number of mistakes.

The bottom line is that all books have mistakes in them - with the exception of the Bible, and even then man has introduced changes or interpreted it incorrectly. And that's why I'm wanting to compile a list of what Ford publications say about DSO.

Grumpin - Thanks. We are now at 5 saying DSO is Domestic Special Order and 1 that says District Sales Office - although that one also uses DSO to mean "special order", and if FSO means Foreign Special Order then DSO must mean Domestic Special Order.

[grumpin]

Rembrant - It is an interesting read, but I think it is a mix of truth and fiction and I don't know where one starts and the other stops. However, one fiction is that "every car ever built by Ford was in fact a special order". We've already shown that several Ford official documents say that "If the unit is regular production only the district code number will appear". So, to Ford the orders from the district offices were "regular production" and not a special order.

And another proof that all orders were not "special orders" is the recurring statement in many of our books that any "special order" will have the complete number shown in the DSO spot. But yet we don't seem to have any trucks with big, long numbers in that spot. Just regular production trucks with the two-digit district code in that spot.

I am constantly amazed at what gets published in books. Years ago I picked up the Red Book for Dodge Super Bees, and hadn't gotten very far and found a statement that all Super Bees had bright exhaust tips. Not true, and I had one that didn't have. In fact, I've shown with Chrysler publications that some Bees didn't get them. And, I found a survivor at Carlisle, PA w/o bright tips - which Galen Govier, the MOPAR guru, documented.

Similarly, I found that George Reid's book on "Cleveland Engines" has a number of mistakes. He says in it that he interviewed Tim Meyer, so I chatted with Tim about it and he agreed it has a number of mistakes.

The bottom line is that all books have mistakes in them - with the exception of the Bible, and even then man has introduced changes or interpreted it incorrectly. And that's why I'm wanting to compile a list of what Ford publications say about DSO.

Grumpin - Thanks. We are now at 5 saying DSO is Domestic Special Order and 1 that says District Sales Office - although that one also uses DSO to mean "special order", and if FSO means Foreign Special Order then DSO must mean Domestic Special Order.

"And that's why I'm wanting to compile a list of what Ford publications say about DSO."

I appreciate and applaud your efforts!

Just hope you don't end up in the looney bin in the process!

[Gary Lewis]

Rembrant - It is an interesting read, but I think it is a mix of truth and fiction and I don't know where one starts and the other stops. However, one fiction is that "every car ever built by Ford was in fact a special order". We've already shown that several Ford official documents say that "If the unit is regular production only the district code number will appear". So, to Ford the orders from the district offices were "regular production" and not a special order.

And another proof that all orders were not "special orders" is the recurring statement in many of our books that any "special order" will have the complete number shown in the DSO spot. But yet we don't seem to have any trucks with big, long numbers in that spot. Just regular production trucks with the two-digit district code in that spot.

I am constantly amazed at what gets published in books. Years ago I picked up the Red Book for Dodge Super Bees, and hadn't gotten very far and found a statement that all Super Bees had bright exhaust tips. Not true, and I had one that didn't have. In fact, I've shown with Chrysler publications that some Bees didn't get them. And, I found a survivor at Carlisle, PA w/o bright tips - which Galen Govier, the MOPAR guru, documented.

Similarly, I found that George Reid's book on "Cleveland Engines" has a number of mistakes. He says in it that he interviewed Tim Meyer, so I chatted with Tim about it and he agreed it has a number of mistakes.

The bottom line is that all books have mistakes in them - with the exception of the Bible, and even then man has introduced changes or interpreted it incorrectly. And that's why I'm wanting to compile a list of what Ford publications say about DSO.

Grumpin - Thanks. We are now at 5 saying DSO is Domestic Special Order and 1 that says District Sales Office - although that one also uses DSO to mean "special order", and if FSO means Foreign Special Order then DSO must mean Domestic Special Order.

This will serve as our score sheet, and I'll come back and update it as new info is found:

Ford official publications saying that DSO is anything but Domestic Special Order:

• 1980 Factory Shop Manual: Page 10-00-11 says "District Sales Office (DSO) Code"

• 1981 Factory Shop Manual: Page 10-00-16 says "District Sales Office (DSO) Code"

• 1985 Factory Shop Manual: Page 10-00-21 says "District Sales Office (DSO) Code"

• 1986 Factory Shop Manual: Page 10-00-20 says "District Sales Office (DSO) Code"

Ford official publications saying that DSO is Domestic Special Order:

• 1981 Light Trucks Facts Organizer: Page 7 in General Information defines DSO as "domestic special order"

• 1982 Light Trucks Facts Organizer: Page 9 in General Information defines DSO as "domestic special order"

• 1983 Light Trucks Facts Organizer: Page 9 in General Information defines DSO as "domestic special order"

• 1980-1989 Master Parts Catalog: Page 12 defines DSO as "domestic special order"

Grumpin or Bill - Do your 1986 FSM's say "District Sales Office (DSO) Code" on Page 10-00-21 or there abouts? I'll bet they do.

That being the case, I think it is basically a draw - the FSM's say DSO is District Sales Office and the facts organizers and MPC define DSO as "domestic special order". I'd still like to gather more examples, but I am now coming to the conclusion that Bill was right and I was wrong - Ford used DSO to mean both "district sales office" and "domestic special order".

 

[grumpin]

This will serve as our score sheet, and I'll come back and update it as new info is found:

Ford official publications saying that DSO is anything but Domestic Special Order:

• 1980 Factory Shop Manual: Page 10-00-11 says "District Sales Office (DSO) Code"

• 1981 Factory Shop Manual: Page 10-00-16 says "District Sales Office (DSO) Code"

• 1985 Factory Shop Manual: Page 10-00-21 says "District Sales Office (DSO) Code"

Ford official publications saying that DSO is Domestic Special Order:

• 1981 Light Trucks Facts Organizer: Page 7 in General Information defines DSO as "domestic special order"

• 1982 Light Trucks Facts Organizer: Page 9 in General Information defines DSO as "domestic special order"

• 1983 Light Trucks Facts Organizer: Page 9 in General Information defines DSO as "domestic special order"

• 1980-1989 Master Parts Catalog: Page 12 defines DSO as "domestic special order"

Grumpin or Bill - Do your 1986 FSM's say "District Sales Office (DSO) Code" on Page 10-00-21 or there abouts? I'll bet they do.

That being the case, I think it is basically a draw - the FSM's say DSO is District Sales Office and the facts organizers and MPC define DSO as "domestic special order". I'd still like to gather more examples, but I am now coming to the conclusion that Bill was right and I was wrong - Ford used DSO to mean both "district sales office" and "domestic special order".

Yes, page 10-00-20, at the top it says District Sales Office (DSO) and Wheelbase (WB) Codes.

[Gary Lewis]

This will serve as our score sheet, and I'll come back and update it as new info is found:

Ford official publications saying that DSO is anything but Domestic Special Order:

• 1980 Factory Shop Manual: Page 10-00-11 says "District Sales Office (DSO) Code"

• 1981 Factory Shop Manual: Page 10-00-16 says "District Sales Office (DSO) Code"

• 1985 Factory Shop Manual: Page 10-00-21 says "District Sales Office (DSO) Code"

Ford official publications saying that DSO is Domestic Special Order:

• 1981 Light Trucks Facts Organizer: Page 7 in General Information defines DSO as "domestic special order"

• 1982 Light Trucks Facts Organizer: Page 9 in General Information defines DSO as "domestic special order"

• 1983 Light Trucks Facts Organizer: Page 9 in General Information defines DSO as "domestic special order"

• 1980-1989 Master Parts Catalog: Page 12 defines DSO as "domestic special order"

Grumpin or Bill - Do your 1986 FSM's say "District Sales Office (DSO) Code" on Page 10-00-21 or there abouts? I'll bet they do.

That being the case, I think it is basically a draw - the FSM's say DSO is District Sales Office and the facts organizers and MPC define DSO as "domestic special order". I'd still like to gather more examples, but I am now coming to the conclusion that Bill was right and I was wrong - Ford used DSO to mean both "district sales office" and "domestic special order".

Yes, page 10-00-20, at the top it says District Sales Office (DSO) and Wheelbase (WB) Codes.

Thanks, grumpin. I've changed the scorecard. It is a dead-heat at the moment.

[Rembrant]

Thanks, grumpin. I've changed the scorecard. It is a dead-heat at the moment.

Gary,

I know you're looking for Ford documentation, but if you look at the snippet below from my '84 FSM, it shows what would be a pretty accurate description of what is in the DSO box. DSO = D/SO, or District/Special Order Codes. So, the "D" is always the district, which is always there, and the SO, if applicable refers to a DSO, FPO, or LPO.

Just thought I'd throw it out there as a wild card. That description makes sense based on what info is actually in the DSO box, but it's not the official Ford documentation that you're seeking of course.

[Gary Lewis]

Gary,

I know you're looking for Ford documentation, but if you look at the snippet below from my '84 FSM, it shows what would be a pretty accurate description of what is in the DSO box. DSO = D/SO, or District/Special Order Codes. So, the "D" is always the district, which is always there, and the SO, if applicable refers to a DSO, FPO, or LPO.

Just thought I'd throw it out there as a wild card. That description makes sense based on what info is actually in the DSO box, but it's not the official Ford documentation that you're seeking of course.

I've never seen, or maybe noticed, the "/" in a publication. Where did you find that? What page? I'd like to check my FSM's.

And, isn't an FSM official Ford Documentation?